After a seven-month investigation into a massive drug ring was conducted by law enforcement, an arrest of 12 individuals was made. 12 people are currently in jail and 13 arrests are pending. The heroin bust is anticipated to be the “tip of the iceberg” with a growing problem that seems to increase in its severity. The operation was titled “Fix a Flat” because the operator of the ring, Ruben Massas, worked out of a tire shop in Stuart. Massas’ supplier has recently been identified but has not been arrested yet. The crew is expected to have introduced over $20,000 of heroin onto the streets of the local area with over 100 transactions recorded since the investigation began. The investigation initially began during a traffic stop with a man that was working as a criminal informant.

The DEA assisted in the investigation and it was the largest seizure of illegal drugs in Treasure Coast in the last 15 years but DEA officials believe that the battle has just begun in the area. Federal agencies from Martin and St. Lucie County worked together to ensure that the arrests were made. A significant number of the sales were conducted out of East Stuart Tire Center on Dixie Cutoff Road with the drug ring.

“It was fundamentally a classic heroin distribution — or any kind of drug distribution — operation,” Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said. Snyder believes that the problem will only escalate due to pill restrictions that are currently being enforced in the state of Florida. Officers have seen an increased amount of heroin around Delray Beach in the last year, which has resulted in the overdoses of 26 people. A total of four people have died, causing officials to carry Narcan, an anti-overdose drug, which will be used if it’s necessary.

More heroin rings are expected to be investigated and deputies are instructed to seize any vehicles that may be in the sale of heroin.

“We are not sitting back. We are aggressively going after it,” Snyder said.

The majority of the case took place in St Lucie County. This case will require a St Lucie federal criminal lawyer for the defendants. The Law Office of Jeffrey H. Garland, P.A. can provide you with a Fort Pierce Federal Criminal Lawyer to ensure that your rights are protected during a case. Our office has extensive experience with various drug cases at both state and federal levels. The case should be entrusted to a professional who is qualified to defend the suspect with useful defense techniques and extensive knowledge that can be enforced.

If you or someone you know have been in a similar legal situation, contact our firm at (772) 242-6380 to speak with a professional.